How the Hours You Clock at Work Affect Your Fertility

Is your job preventing you from putting a bun in the oven?

I'm working 12-hour days back-to-back. Can that keep me from rolling out an egg? —Lara, New York City

Burning the candle at both ends causes stress, which can disrupt the hormone signals that initiate ovulation. The result: You may ovulate later than usual—or not at all, which can delay or make you flat-out miss your period. If you can't cut back at work, try your best to sleep seven hours each night, eat a balanced diet (including a prenatal vitamin), and get 30 to 45 minutes of moderately intense exercise three times a week (which can provide a boost of energy to help you get through the long days). If you work crazy hours and still eat well and sleep enough, you should ovulate.

Sheeva Talebian, M.D., reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York